


Ludi

by Hotspur



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, Julius Caesar - Shakespeare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Gen, Old story im finally posting, i like blood okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-13
Updated: 2014-10-13
Packaged: 2018-02-21 00:10:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2448149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hotspur/pseuds/Hotspur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brutus and Portia, tributes from District Three, have teamed up with Cassius, from District Six in the Games. Someone has to die first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ludi

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this back in July due to something my friend said - imagine little Brutus and Portia and Cassius in the Hunger Games. So we came up with everything that happens within that story. I originally didn't want to post this until I had a full story, but I don't at the moment. If I ever write the other chapters, then I'll combine it into one full story.

"I'll go on ahead," Portia said, shouldering her bag and picking her knife off the ground. "If we can take out one of the careers while they're on their own we have a better chance of fighting our way through to the river."

"Good luck," Cassius said. 

"I'll be careful," Portia replied. 

Brutus had been getting a sick feeling in his stomach every time he looked at her or heard her speak. He wasn't sure what it was. 

"I know you always are," he said. He watched as she quietly slipped away between the trees. 

"Come on," Cassius said, picking up his own knife and feeling its weight. "We get our part done and the sooner-" 

His words were cut off by a gut-wrenching scream. 

"Portia!" Brutus and Cassius yelled at the same time. They took off in the direction Portia had gone and the scream had come.

Livia, the girl from District 2, looked up to see Brutus and Cassius running through the bracken just as she finished running the short sword she'd been armed with through Portia's chest. Portia's eyes were seemingly locked on Brutus. Then her body fell to the ground and Brutus was only semiconscious of a scream ripping from his lungs. Cassius flew forward and slammed Livia into a tree. She barely had time to react as he forced her head up and slit her throat, a jet of blood streaming out at him.

Brutus threw himself over Portia, tears burning in his eyes and a muffled scream fighting to be released. He didn't notice that Cassius had disposed of Livia and he didn't care that he was holding a dead body. She was still warm, still bleeding. No heartbeat. No breath. No hope.

"No!" He heard himself shout. "No! Please no!" 

"Brutus, come on!" Cassius cried as two cannons were fired. "You have to leave her or the rest will find you and kill you!"

Brutus was crying fully now, tears spilling from his eyes and deep sobs escaping his throat. "Portia... no..." he cried, laying his forehead on hers. He wanted desperately to kiss her lips, to say that he thought she was pretty, that he loved her. That would all be futile now. She was gone and couldn't hear him. He looked up at Cassius, seeing his concerned, blood-spattered face through the tears in his eyes. 

"Come on, Brutus," Cassius said again, this time more gently. "Portia wouldn't want you to cry over her too long."

Brutus couldn't help it. He lay his head back down on her chest, wishing beyond all hope to hear a heartbeat. There would never be one again and at this moment Brutus's own heart felt like it was being torn apart in his chest. 

Cassius looked up in the sky, agitated. The hovercraft would descend soon to retrieve the bodies of the two slain girls. They would be cleaned up and returned to their districts, which by now had seen the horrific deaths.

The Capitol would be applauding Cassius's brutality in slashing Livia's pretty throat. It was a fitting revenge for the death of the plucky young tactician from Three. More sentimental viewers would be taken by Brutus's mourning. "I told you so," one said to another that day- "the boy from Three, Brutus, loved the girl, Portia." Another would reply "That doesn't mean he doesn't love that boy from Six. Now she's out of the way."

District Two would be ashamed that it had lost one of its prime fighters. Livia's family probably would publicly honor her ferocity and impressive streak in the games but in private feel the loss of a daughter, no matter how trained and hardened. She was still a child, just fifteen. A year older than the girl she had killed and a year younger than the boy that had killed her.

District Three would be in mourning over Portia, who had come from such a respected family and had been so well-liked. She was just 14, which still seemed young. So pretty and innocent and yet so clever and brave. Her district was now in mourning, as was her boy.

Brutus was still lying over Portia's body, holding her and sobbing. Cassius continued begging him to leave her. 

"No!" Brutus screamed. "No! You can't make me! I can't leave her like this." 

"I can't make you, but the Gamemakers can," Cassius said. He grabbed ahold of Brutus and tried to drag him away. Brutus literally would not go but kicking and screaming. He struggled against Cassius, managing to slam his boot in the other boy's face. Cassius howled and gripped Brutus roughly, pinning him to the ground as best he could and trying to subdue him. 

"Come on, Brutus, we have to go, otherwise she died for nothing. She'd want us to stay alive and get to the river. Don't give up on her. She didn't give up on you. God knows why." Cassius loosened his grip on Brutus.

Brutus had run out of tears and now just held her, sniffing and dry sobbing. 

"I'm going to help you, okay?" Cassius said. "I won't betray you."

Brutus looked up at him, eyes still blurred by tears. "I don't want to leave her though," he whispered.

"I understand," Cassius replied softly. He reached out and smoothed Portia's hair. He then took Brutus's hand. "If you win, you win for her," he said. 

Brutus looked down at Portia. He carefully closed her eyelids. He then leaned down and kissed her gently on her forehead, smudging the blood and dirt that hand been plastered on her after their recent encounter with Catullus. His lips lingered there and he wished she could have known that he was kissing her goodbye. Finally, he allowed Cassius to pull him up. 

The moment Brutus was on his feet, Cassius hugged him. "She had faith in you," he said. Brutus nodded and buried his face in Cassius's shoulder. 

He broke away and knelt by the body again, and Cassius was sure the whole thing was going to start again. Instead, Brutus picked up her backpack and looked through her jacket pockets.

"Found it," he said softly, holding a small object.

"What is it?" Cassius asked

Brutus looked back down at Portia, then at Cassius. 

"Portia's matches," he said. He stood up, pocketing the box of matches. Wiping the last tears from his eyes Brutus turned and followed Cassius through the woods to challenge the game.


End file.
